Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK/SP)
Mangaluru, Mar 14: Well-known actor Prakash Rai (Raj), who has been vocal on various matters on politics and society, on Wednesday March 14 stressed on the need for people to raise their voice and question wrongdoings, and termed communal politics as a bigger 'cancer' than corruption.
Addressing an interactive session with the media during his visit to the on Wednesday, he said, "Media have an important role to play in my life and their support is enormous in even highlighting my political thinking.
'I am not into any political party. I am speaking to raise my voice as a citizen of this country and sometimes my statements have been manipulated. At present the political situation is not right and I am questioning it. I do not have any political background but as a citizen I have the right to question," he said.
"Nowadays, we are not allowed to question. If you question, you are labelled as an affiliate of a political outfit and its ideologies. Every citizen has the right to question and needs to participate in democracy. I do not believe in any party. If a common man as a citizen questions, then he is left isolated. If you notice, 500 protest for unemployment, 200 protest for mid-day meals - even while protesting, there are differences and no one supports each other's problems and shares their pain," he added.
"Any individual who questions today is identified with a party and its ideologies, which we don't need. We need a clean government. I talk against the system and I am not in any political party because I do not need to be in politics. I want to be among the people. I have always stressed upon questioning. If being an actor I face trouble when I question something, then think about the common man. Still, the common man needs to start questioning. This is what should happen.
"I never thought I would need police protection. Some people approach me with criticism or pressurise me. This is how they want to silence you. Every common man should come forward and start questioning the wrongs," he stressed.
He also said that he has no plans to enter electoral politics. "I will not enter electoral politics, as there are a lot of loopholes in the system which disturbs me. When a common man comes and talks to me, it makes me feel empowered and strengthens me.
"I am not in favour of any party but I will talk against a certain party which is danger to our country. BJP's communal thinking has directly attacked me. Some say I am anti-Hindu. Did I ever say it? I feel communal politics is a bigger cancer than corruption," he said.
He also urged voters not to fall prey to the lure or money or caste politics when exercising their franchise.
When asked about the rift between him and Mysuru MP Prathap Simha, Rai said, "I do not have any personal issues with Simha. I feel social media has become a violent platform. My value does not get decided on the basis of what Pratap Simha says. I filed defamation case against him not for money. He failed to apologize for the foul language used by him against me, although I gave him time to do so. But I am worried that when he talks such things on social media, his followers also do the same," he said.
"I have the right to be honest. When I raise a question there is never a proper answer, instead I am asked about getting a plot at HSR layout. When I can donate 6 acres of land to run a school, am I not capable of buying a piece of land?" he said.
About a comment passed by a student against BJP national president Amit Shah at Puttur, the actor said that the student in question was free to express his views.
On reports that he had received threats from some persons from Mangaluru, Prakash Rai said that four persons had approached his car driver to question where he stays. "Besides, they also threatened my car driver," he said, adding that the people disappeared at the sight of police. "I now realize that the atmosphere here is full of tension and apprehension," he said.
To a question on the verdict on the pub attack case, he wondered whether it was right to acquit the accused just because witnesses were not forthcoming. There was a lot of evidence but judge aquitted the accused. Do you think justice has been done? Victims did not complain, but it could be because of lot of reasons, like fear. If you talk in favour of this verdict, you are labelled as BJP man, if you talk against it then you are called Congress supporter. No one treats you as a citizen or a human - you are identified with either of these parties. This verdict is a failure of judiciary and one needs to question the Congress about it. How will people have faith in judiciary?"
On union miniser Ananth Kumar Hegde, he said, "When union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde spoke against the Constitution none of his party leaders disowned him. Instead they supported him. This disturbs me, so how can I accept him as a leader? Some talk against my mother and I will fight against them. When a youth dies, why do you say RSS leader died, why cannot you say a youngster died, why should he be labelled as an activist of a party or outfit?"
"When a Hindu girl is kidnapped by a Muslim boy, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath in his speech says 'if they take one Hindu girl, we will take 10 Muslim girls. Is this the way to talk? How can I believe such leaders? I love saffron colour which signifies Swami Vivekananda, but these are the ones who hide behind the saffron colour and talk about something else in the name of Hindutva," he lashed out.